Holy actual shit. New Scientist magazine used FOI legislation to obtain ChatGPT input from and output to a UK Cabinet minister, who used the chatbot as a source of policy advice. Bloody hell.
h/t @bullivant
cc @RightToKnow @kenfoxe @faduda @dublininquirer
@RightToKnow @faduda @dublininquirer @clickhere @bullivant @kenfoxe That’s pretty mad…
@chongliss @RightToKnow @faduda @dublininquirer @bullivant @kenfoxe It's completely dystopian.
@clickhere @chongliss @RightToKnow @dublininquirer @bullivant @kenfoxe
It explains a great deal about the current UK government...
@faduda @chongliss @RightToKnow @dublininquirer @bullivant @kenfoxe Jesus, now that you mention it..
@clickhere @bullivant @RightToKnow @kenfoxe @faduda @dublininquirer He's the science minister. Of course he's going to get hands on with AI. And he wasn't getting policy advice - no policies were formed on the basis of ChatGPT output.
@pheasant_plucker @clickhere @bullivant @RightToKnow @kenfoxe @dublininquirer
Sure, I believe you.
@faduda @clickhere @bullivant @RightToKnow @kenfoxe @dublininquirer as an alternative to belief, you could read the article?
@pheasant_plucker @faduda @clickhere @RightToKnow @kenfoxe @dublininquirer I have read the article. Can you point me to the part which substantiates your claim that: "And he wasn't getting policy advice - no policies were formed on the basis of ChatGPT output."
In the very title is says: "...uses ChatGPT for policy advice..."
@bullivant @faduda @clickhere @RightToKnow @kenfoxe @dublininquirer none of the uses mentioned are policy development: "asked ChatGPT to explain why the UK’s small and medium business (SMB) community has been so slow to adopt AI", "also used the chatbot to canvas ideas for media appearances", "asked ChatGPT to define various terms"," used it “to try and understand the broader context ”, "does not substitute comprehensive advice he routinely receives from officials"
@bullivant @faduda @clickhere @RightToKnow @kenfoxe @dublininquirer hard to point to the bit of the article where it doesn't say something! Nowhere in the article does it talk about policy development.
@pheasant_plucker @faduda @clickhere @RightToKnow @kenfoxe @dublininquirer He's a minister. His job is to make and implement policy.
I have no idea why you choosing to die on this hill, but it is not a good look.
@bullivant @faduda @clickhere @RightToKnow @kenfoxe @dublininquirer ok, if you want to take the route that everything a minister does is policy development, then sure if he does something it's policy development.
@pheasant_plucker @clickhere @RightToKnow @kenfoxe @faduda @dublininquirer Listen to his podcast on Leading with Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell. He has completely swallowed the AI Kool Aid and is a haplessly uncritical cheerleader for the technology.
https://alastaircampbell.org/2025/03/125-peter-kyle-ai-grief-and-the-power-of-elon-musk/